


A Weekend With Daddy

by MonPetitTresor



Series: Daddy Dom Gabriel and Little Sam [7]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Adorable Sammy, Carnival, Daddy Gabriel, Domestic Fluff, Fluff, Little Sam, More tags to be added, Nightmares, Sam Has a Fear of Clowns, daddy dom
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-23
Updated: 2016-05-28
Packaged: 2018-06-04 01:58:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 13,454
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6636343
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MonPetitTresor/pseuds/MonPetitTresor
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sam gets a chance to spend an entire, obligation free weekend with Daddy without any worries about cases or brothers cropping up to disturb them.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

“C’mon, Sammy! We’re going out!”

Those were the words that greeted Sam as soon as he walked into his motel room, his brother coming in behind him.

The surprise of having Gabriel there waiting in the room had lessened quite a bit over these last few weeks. Sam expected it more often than not and looked forward to it. He loved how often he got to see Gabriel since they’d started their relationship. Dean, however, wasn’t quite used to it yet and still jumped a bit. “Dammit, Gabe!” The older hunter cursed. “Give us some warning!”

Gabriel wiggled his eyebrows. “Where’s the fun in that?”

Too used to them, Sam rolled his eyes and pushed past his brother, knocking their shoulders as he went. He went to his bed and dropped his bag, also taking a moment to drop a kiss on Gabriel’s lips when his partner tipped his face up towards him. Gabriel was just lounging on the edge of the bed. He kicked his legs and hummed happily at his kiss. “Hey there, gorgeous.”

“Hey, Gabe.” Sam murmured back. He gave Gabriel one last kiss and then straightened up, ignoring his brother’s groaning about ‘PDA’ in the background. As Sam started to unzip his bag and pull out his weapons, he sent a look Gabriel’s way and asked “Where exactly are we going?”

“You want me to spoil the surprise?” The mock shocked look on Gabriel’s face had Sam chuckling. “Sammy, really! I’m shocked! What kind of boy do you think I am?” He held up a hand the instant Sam turned towards him and the archangel shot him an amused look. “Don’t answer that. Just drop your stuff off an go change into something comfortable, kiddo. We’ve got a nice long day ahead of us. Well, weekend, really.”

That was enough to draw both Sam and Dean’s attention to him, though for different reason .Sam looked cautiously elated while Dean looked hesitant and not all that happy. “Weekend?” They said at the same time.

Gabriel grinned at them. “It’s so cute when you two do that.” Smirking at the scowls it earned him, he leaned back on his hands. “Yes, weekend. Cassie and I decided that the two of you need a chance to relax. So, I’m stealing my Sambino here, and Cassie will be by in a bit for you, Deano. I’m sure you two will find something to do without us around.” He winked and gave Dean a lewd look. When Dean flushed, the archangel laughed again. He ignored Dean’s spluttering to turn and look at Sam with that look of open affection that Sam still wasn’t used to seeing directed his way. “You gonna get changed, kiddo? Or you feel like going like that?”

Never before had Sam ever changed his clothes so fast. By the time he came back out of the bathroom in a clean pair of his most comfortable jeans and a few shirts – his usual layers of a t-shirt, a flannel and his light jacket – he found Gabriel still sitting on the bed though he’d drawn his legs up and crossed them underneath him, and Dean nowhere in sight.

“Where's Dean?” Sam asked, eyeing around him curiously. All of their stuff seemed to be gone from the room. Not even his own bag still remained.

“Cassie came and got him already. I'm sure they're off Dad knows where having an awkwardly amusing time together.” Reaching out, Gabriel patted the bed beside him. “Have a seat, sweetheart. I wanna talk a moment before we head out of here.”

Well that was a guaranteed way to make Sam's stomach clench up. He moved cautiously forward and lowered himself down onto the bed. It didn't escape Gabriel's notice that he sat just a little further away than he normally would've. But it didn't surprise the archangel, either. He just smiled at Sam in a reassuring way. “Relax, Sammy. It's nothing bad. I just wanna run something by you before we go anywhere.”

“What do you mean?”

Gabriel kept up the smile, but he didn't reach out to touch Sam, didn't indulge in any of the little touches that had become so common between them. Sam wasn't too put off by it. Gabriel tended to draw back his touches just a bit when he was asking Sam something important, something that he didn't want to accidentally influence in some way or another. “I want to make an offer. We've talked a little about this before, so I know it's something you're interested in, but I don't want you to feel like you have to do this.” He tilted his head a little in that universal angelic gesture that they all seemed to use when they were studying something. “What do you think about making this a little weekend? You showed some interest before in putting yourself in that kind of headspace for an extended amount of time. I know you've been busy lately and you guys have been working hard. I thought that maybe this would be a nice way for you to unwind.”

Sam went completely still. A 'little weekend'? He and Gabriel _had_ talked about this once or twice before but Sam had never really thought that he would actually get it. They'd just been sort of, fantasies that he'd talked about. Non-sexual fantasies. A weekend where he didn't have any other obligations. A chance to just leave behind Sam-the-hunter and only have to be Sammy, Gabriel's little boy. The idea of it had Sam's gut clenching in almost instant _want_. He wanted this – oh, God, did he want this. To let go for a few days and not have to worry. Not have to stress about everything. Gabriel would take care of him, he knew. He'd keep Sam safe and take good care of him.

But could Sam really let go for that long? “I don't... I'm not sure how I'll do.” Sam admitted quietly. “I don't know if I can go that deep or that long.”

“It's not a contest, Sammy.” Gabriel did reach out now, brushing his fingers against Sam's cheek as he tucked a bit of hair behind his ear. “There's no winning or losing here, or right or wrong. You don't have to force yourself to go the whole weekend if that's not what your brain wants. This is about you and I doing what feels right to us. It's about trying to help you relax and giving you the option of doing it in a prearranged situation where you don't have to worry about yanking yourself up out of it before you're ready. If it doesn't work, we still have the whole weekend to us and that's never a bad thing. No matter how we spend it, I'm going to be happy. As long as I'm with you.”

A blush colored Sam's cheeks and he dropped his gaze down. “It's not fair you can say things like that and not sound like a sap.” The way Gabriel said those things, the way he gave the compliments to Sam like they were the most simple of things, a fact that everyone should know, never failed to leave Sam so warm inside.

“It's not fair you look so damn adorable when you blush whenever I say them.” Gabriel shot back cheekily.

The smile that curved Sam's lips had the corners of his eyes crinkling and his dimples peeking out. When he looked up at Gabriel again it wasn't hard to know what answer he was going to give here. Had there ever been any sort of doubt? “I'd like to try.”

“How deep do you want to try?” Gabriel asked curiously. “You want me to make up the bed in your room, or you still want to come climb into ours?”

There was no judgment in the question. He'd do either one, Sam knew. But honestly, Sam had no idea. “I'm not sure. I'm not... I'm sort of used to having someone at least in the room with me. When I was a kid, I never slept alone. Dean was always in the room if not in the same bed. Dad stuck us together a lot when we were younger. It wasn't until we got older that he started to get a cot too so we could all have our own beds.”

As always, the mention of John Winchester was enough to have Gabriel's eyes flashing. But he didn't comment on it, nor did he let it ruin his mood. “Well, we can give your room a try if you want. It's not hard to bring you back to our bed if you need it.”

“Okay.”

“We'll spend most of the weekend at home. I know you don't like being out yet while you're like this. But, if you don't mind, I do have plans for today that involve us being out. Something that might help you start to slip down into that headspace.”

That had Sam's interest. He perked up just a little, both nervous about the idea of doing anything in public as well as curious about what this place might be. “Where?”

He should've known better than to ask. Instead of answering with words, Gabriel wiggled his eyebrows and lifted a hand before snapping.

One second Sam was sitting by Gabriel on the motel bed and the next he found himself standing up in the middle of a crowd – thankfully, with Gabriel still at his side. It only took one look around for Sam to realize what kind of place that Gabriel had taken him to. He couldn't help the little smile that curved the corners of his mouth. “A carnival?” Turning, he looked down at his partner. “You brought me to a carnival?”

Gabriel pressed up close to Sam's side and ducked underneath his arm without a single ounce of hesitation or shame. “Of course! Where else would we go to have fun and let go, Samsquatch? There's rides, games, toys, cotton candy – it's perfect!”

Carnivals hadn't exactly been something that the Winchesters had been able to go to during their childhood. Once or twice Sam had been to one when they'd been lucky enough to be in town while a fair or carnival was passing through. Dean had taken him, he remembered, back when Sam was still in elementary school. They'd managed to get a bit of money out of their Dad and had slipped away while he was out working his case. The two had ridden as many rides as they could and Dean had somehow come up with more money to get them plenty of food. Looking back now, Sam was pretty sure Dean had been using some less-than-right skills to get that cash. Back then, he'd just been sure that he had the greatest brother in the world. Dean had made damn sure Sam had had a great time.

Slipping an arm around Gabriel’s shoulders, Sam smiled down at him and bent just enough to press a kiss against the crown of Gabriel’s head. “It is perfect, Gabe. Thanks.”

“Anytime.” Gabriel said, smiling. After a quick squeeze, he suddenly made a happy sound and bounced under Sam’s arm, pointing just ahead. “Oh, look! They’ve got those strong-man tests. C’mon, Sammy! I wanna ogle you while you swing a hammer.”

“Do you have a hammer fetish I should be worried about, _Loki_?”

The musical sound of Gabriel’s laughter echoed around them while the two started to weave their way through the crowds towards the strong-man test that Gabriel wanted him to do. Even as they moved, Sam felt a bit of the weight on his shoulders fall away, relaxing into the hold of his partner beside him.


	2. Chapter 2

It was easy for Sam to lose himself for a few hours as he and Gabriel just let themselves go and tried out ride after ride. They did everything – no ride was too scary or too silly. Sam was firmly convinced Gabriel would’ve found a way to on the children’s rides if they’d been able to fit in them. Convincing the operators to let them on wouldn’t have been hard for an archangel. But unless he was willing to change both his and Sam’s size, there was no way they’d be able to fit into the kid’s rides.

In retaliation, Gabriel made them ride the merry-go-round more times than Sam felt was necessary.

The whole thing was more fun than Sam had expected it to be, though. He laughed his way through the bumper cars, screamed on the roller coaster with Gabriel when they reached the top and started their descent down. He’d ridden to the top of the Ferris Wheel and was a bit surprise when Gabriel stole only a quick kiss at the top.

After hours on the rides, they’d made their way to the food section of the fairgrounds. Honestly, Sam was surprised Gabriel had held out that long. The man had only eaten one bag of cotton candy so far. It prompted Sam to feel his forehead, which in turn earned him a laugh and a smack on his arm. “I’m not sick, shut up.” The archangel mock-grumbled. His grin gave him away, though.

While Sam was getting joy in what they were doing, Gabriel was getting joy in the man beside him.

Sam took too much on, stressed far more than any human being should, so any chance to get him to relax and let go was a win in Gabriel’s books. This weekend was all about that. Starting out with the fair seemed to be a good idea, too. He watched as Sam slowly started to relax and lose some of the tension in his body and the lines of stress on his face faded away. Seeing it made Gabriel’s smile grow. This was what he wanted. This was what he’d hoped for.

After their rides, and a stop for lunch, the two decided to wander the games for a while to kill some time and let their food settle. Gabriel enjoyed watching the childlike glee on Sam’s face as he took in every detail around them. It didn’t escape his notice how Sam eyed some of the prizes, either. There was the glee of a little boy peeking out of his hazel eyes as they traveled over the games and the brightly colored prizes that hung all around them. Sam had been sitting in a nice sort of ‘between’ state for a while now, one that Gabriel enjoyed seeing on him. It was what he was beginning to realize was pure Sam when at his most relaxed. Still an adult, still enjoying adult-like things, but with the joy of a child in him and an appreciation for childlike things. This was where Sam’s head usually was if he was relaxed. Not too far down into that headspace, but not in the headspace of ‘hunter’ either.

Some booths held posters that you could win by playing a game of darts. Others had the little prizes – the flowing water with the duck you simply picked up, the number on the bottom telling you the prize you’d won. But Gabriel was watching for something specific – and not in the booths. Smirking to himself, he leaned in against his Sammy and watched his face while pointing out different booths, waiting for the right kind of reaction. It didn’t happen until about halfway down the row they were on. Sam’s eyes passed over the booth with the ring toss and there was just a hint of a smile on his lips, the slight widening of his eyes, and then the furtive look away, as if being caught wanting something was an act he needed to be ashamed of. It was one of the many gestures that reminded Gabriel he had a hell of a long way to go with his boy.

It also meant that he couldn’t make what he was about to do appear like it was deliberately for Sam. Not that that was going to be hard. Gabriel simply grinned and tugged on Sam with one arm, lifting his other hand to point at the game. “Oh, let’s try this one, Samshine!”

Sam let himself be tugged forward, an amused and indulgent smile touching his lips. “These games are so rigged, Gabe.”

“So?” Gabriel stopped just a bit away, enough to give the other couple playing some space. The game was the Ring Toss – the point was to get the small plastic rings to land around the neck of one of the many coke bottles set up in the middle. It was, of course, rigged. All these games were. But this wasn’t Gabriel’s first time at a fair or carnival. “This one looks easy enough.”

He enjoyed the low laugh that his partner let out. “I wouldn’t count on it.”

“I bet I could win.” Gabriel twisted just enough to smirk up at Sam. “Hell, I bet I could win without powers.”

“You’re on.”

Oh hells yeah. A _challenge_! Gabriel rolled up his sleeves and winked comically at Sam. “Pick something you like, sweetheart, cause Daddy’s bringing home the prize.” The words were said with just enough jest in them that the people nearby were chuckling, not at all bothered by him. But Gabriel had said them deliberately, another of his little tests, and he was quite pleased with the faint blush and the ghost of a smile that graced Sam’s lips. The hunter shook his head even as he let go of Gabriel and gave him space to go play.

Gabriel paid the carnie and got his set of rings. Then, with one last eyebrow wiggle for Sam, the archangel turned back towards the game and tossed one ring right after the other.

They’d gathered a crowd by the time Gabriel tossed the last one. He was grinning, standing up straight and staring at the four out of five rings that had managed to land on the bottles. He could’ve gotten all five, really, if he’d wanted to, but it was better to make it look like he wasn’t perfect – less trouble for them – and he didn’t need to get all five to get any choice of prizes.

A round of applause sounded around them and Gabriel took a bow. When he straightened back up, he was still grinning as he held his hand out to Sam. The hunter took it without hesitation and let himself be pulled in until they were close enough that Gabriel could press up for a kiss. The two broke apart and Gabriel knew his grin was smug. “Told you I’d win. You find something you like up there, sweetheart?”

The question was asked in all honesty, something he knew Sam recognized, and for just a second the boy hesitated. If they’d been alone it would’ve been different. But there were people looking at them and Gabriel knew that bothered Sam. He hated being the center of attention, especially in a moment like this. Yet it didn’t stop his eyes from drifting longingly to one of the stuffed animals up on display. The smile Gabriel wore shifted into something gentler, something usually only his boy got to see, and he nodded to himself. Then, because he knew what Sam would do if he didn’t intervene, he gave the kid’s waist a squeeze. “Well if you won’t pick something, I will.” Lifting his free hand, the archangel pointed out the stuffed animal that Sam had been trying so hard not to stare at.

Once the carnie handed Gabriel the large purple stuffed dog with its big floppy ears, Gabriel turned and thrust it into Sam’s arms. Then, without giving Sam time to protest, he grabbed his hand and dragged him away. “C’mon, Sammy! There’s plenty more to see yet!”

* * *

The stuffed dog was the first of their prizes, but it wasn’t their last. A game of Skee-ball earned them a long-armed monkey whose hands velcroed together. Gabriel immediately hooked it around his own neck. Another game got them a giant, inflatable hammer, which immediately had them playing again so they could get another.

It was at the shooting game that Sam won their big prize. He played three, using the first game to get the feel for things. Once he was sure how the gun handled – a little down and to the left – it wasn’t hard to compensate for it. The next two games were easy to win. The first one got him a large prize and the second let him grade it up to a giant size. And it was more than worth it to watch Gabriel’s gleeful expression as the archangel picked out a giant stuffed snake almost bigger than he was.

By the time their day started to wind down, Sam was more relaxed than he could remember being in a very long time.

He made a point of letting Gabriel know that as they picked up some treats and went once more to go sit and eat near the live music. Sam folded himself down onto the bench at Gabriel’s side, balancing his plate on one thigh, and he offered a shy yet sincere smile to his partner. “I…I had a really great time today, Gabe. Thank you.”

Gabriel’s whole expression warmed and the corners of his eyes crinkled as he smiled. “I’m glad. You deserve it, sweetheart.”

The endearment made Sam blush a little. He ducked his head and ignored Gabriel’s soft chuckle. Pressed up against one another’s sides, the two settled in to watch the music and enjoy their food.

They were still sitting there when they hit their first small snag in the whole trip. Or, not a small one, not really. Not for Sam.

He’d known from the minute they’d arrived at the fairgrounds that this was a possibility. One he probably should’ve warned Gabriel about. But the hunter had mostly managed to convince himself that it wasn’t going to be a problem, that he might get away without seeing them, or that maybe it wouldn’t be a problem anymore after everything he’d been through. After all, what was a childhood fear in comparison to the torture he’d endured?

Of course, that wasn’t his luck. When was his luck ever that good?

They were leaning into one another, sharing a cinnamon covered elephant ear when Sam caught sight of the bright red curly hair bouncing its way through the crowd. The way his body reacted was immediate. He couldn’t help how he sucked in a breath, almost swallowing down the bite in his mouth and almost choking himself.

Gabriel slapped a hand against his back to help as Sam coughed that bite of food free. He was flushing with more than just exertion by the time he straightened back up. Beside him, he saw Gabriel’s concerned look, and the hand on his back was now rubbing a small soothing circle instead of patting. “Woah there, kiddo. Careful! You all right?”

“Yeah.” Sam’s eyes darted briefly out into the crowd, noting that the clown was a row closer now, laughing and making a balloon animal for one happy little girl. He covered his shudder and tried to ignore it. _This is just a stupid fear. It’s just a clown. A happy, regular clown, making little kids here happy. He’s nothing bad. Nothing dangerous. Quit freaking out!_ His gaze dropped down to his food and avoided looking at both the clown and Gabriel. “Yeah, I’m fine. Just, ah, down the wrong pipe that’s all.”

“You sure?” There was a hint of worry in Gabriel’s tone and Sam felt sort of bad about that.

No matter how many times he tried to tell himself that his fear was stupid and clowns weren’t going to hurt him, it never worked. They terrified Sam in the way that only a phobia could. Completely and utterly, with no real rhyme or reason to it.

Sam looked up again and he couldn’t help the small whine that tried to build in his throat. The clown was even closer now. The bench that he and Gabriel sat on was right near the end of one of the made up rows that families were using to eat their lunches and watch the music, and the clown seemed to be going down each row one by one. Soon he was going to come out at the end of their row and he’d be almost right in front of Sam. The hunter hated the way that made his stomach clench and his heart pound. His palms felt sweaty when he curled his hands in against his pants and the edge of his plate. _Calm down, calm down. It’s just a clown. Look, it might not even come over. They’re always here for kids, not adults. It’ll skip right past you._ Yet, as if to prove Sam wrong, the clown got closer, and any dignity Sam was trying to maintain went pretty much out the window. This day had gradually pushed him down towards the little headspace that he didn’t usually allow himself to be in when in public and being faced with a childhood fear seemed to push him down towards there even more. Rational thought faded away and the child in Sam didn’t even think about it as he leaned in towards Gabriel and made a choked sound.

The archangel had been paying attention already and his focus had shifted to Sam even more at the sound of distress from his boy. “Sammy?” He lifted an arm when Sam leaned in and quickly wrapped it around him. When Sam burrowed a bit closer, his head ducking down, Gabriel’s concern grew. “What is it, munchkin? What’s going on?”

The word munchkin had slowly become a special word for them. It was one that Gabriel used only when Sam was feeling younger; one that the hunter had come to associate with that freedom and safety that came with being Gabriel’s little boy. It gave him the same feeling now and had him reacting more than he might’ve otherwise. The clown came a few steps closer and Sam turned his head in to hide his face against Gabriel’s hair. “ _Daddy._ ”

“Hey, hey, it’s all right.” A firm hand came up to cup the side of Sam’s head and hold him as Gabriel shifted a little. Then that hand drew him in until Sam’s head was buried against Gabriel’s neck, somehow managing it even with their height differences. “You’re all right, sweetheart. I’m right here. Talk to me. What’s going on?”

John had always hated Sam’s fear of clowns, pointing out that they were nothing in comparison to the things a hunter faced, and Dean liked to pick on him for it. Would Gabriel do that? Sam hoped not. Even if he did, though, it was worth it so long as he could hide here.

“Sammy,” Gabriel’s firm voice cut into his panicked thoughts. “What’s wrong, munchkin? You gotta talk to me, here. What’s scaring you?”

The sound of the clown’s laughter and the rub of plastic over plastic that probably came from another balloon animal – it was so close! – made Sam whimper. “Clown.” Sam mumbled against Gabriel’s neck, embarrassed and scared and almost beyond caring what anyone thought of him. He gripped a little tighter and would’ve climbed up on the man’s lap if he were able just to get closer to him. “Don’ let it get me, Daddy. Please!”

One of Gabriel’s arms came around him and the other hand shifted to scratch at the back of Sam’s head. “The clown? That’s what’s scaring you, sweetheart? You don’t like clowns?” At Sam’s nod, the archangel hummed a little and pulled him in a bit closer. “Don’t you worry; I won’t let it get you. We’re gonna have a talk later about why you didn’t warn me when I brought you here that these scared you, but I promise, Daddy’s not gonna let em get you, baby. Big bad archangel here, remember? Nothing’s gonna get my little boy while I’m here.”

That reminder eased Sam’s fear just a little. Gabriel _was_ pretty powerful. He could take on almost _anything_. A clown would be like nothing for him. Like, like swatting a fly.

“You know what?” Gabriel said, right up against his hair. “I got an idea. It’s getting close to dark anyways – why don’t we take our snacks on over to the field with everyone else and get ready for the show? Does that sound good?”

The show? That had Sam peeking up just a bit from where he was hiding. “What show?”

Brushing a bit of Sam’s hair back from his face, Gabriel smiled down at him. “I guess you’ll just have to come and see, won’t you?”

For a moment Sam forgot that they were out in public and there were people around that could see him. He looked up at Gabriel and stuck his lower lip out in a pout that had sometimes worked on Dean. He wanted to know what this show was! His pout didn’t have any effect, though.

“Nope.” Gabriel tapped the tip of Sam’s nose and laughed. “You’ll have to be patient. Shouldn’t be much longer, anyways, so why don’t we get ourselves on up and head over there.”

The idea of some sort of a surprise was enough to distract Sam from the panic that had been creeping up on him. It wasn’t enough to keep him from watching, though, as they rose to their feet. They paused only long enough for Gabriel to scoop up the bag he’d snapped up earlier to hold their prizes. The clown was still too close for Sam’s comfort and he pressed in right up against Gabriel, keeping the archangel between him and clown the whole way out of there. Only when it was out of sight did Sam start to relax. That left a little room for embarrassment to creep in, though.

Gabriel didn’t give him any time to dwell on that. Tugging on Sam’s hand, he pulled him forward, and Sam could only follow. They wove their way through crowds until suddenly they were in a large field that was already full of plenty of people. All of them were seated in various places, or lying down on blankets, or set up in lawn chairs. Gabriel wove through them all, never letting go of Sam, until he found what was apparently the perfect empty space. “Here we are!”

“What’re we doin’?” Sam asked curiously. He was still a little on edge and he knew it showed in his voice, which he hated. His brain was sort of struggling in that moment between two different mindsets, not sure which one to be in. He knew what he _wanted_ – but he also knew they were in a public place, with plenty of people all around them.

Dropping their bag down, Gabriel unzipped it and dug through for a moment before simply giving up and turning the thing upside down. All their game prizes fell out onto the ground, as well as… a blanket? Sam watched curiously as Gabriel pulled out an enormous quilt that probably shouldn’t have fit in the bag, especially with the other stuff, and then spread it out on the grass. “How on earth did you fit that in there?” Sam asked.

He got an eyebrow wiggle and a grin in response.

“Perfect!” Gabriel declared once the blanket was stretched out. He flopped down on it with all the grace of a kid and grinned up at Sam, patting the blanket next to him. “C’mon, Sammy. We got a few to wait. Might as well come get comfortable!”

Sam was smiling as he settled down onto the blanket. “You’re not gonna tell me what we’re here for?”

“You haven’t guessed yet?”

“Uh…a picnic?”

For a second Gabriel stared at him like he was debating just how serious Sam was. Then he sighed and shook his head. “Anyone ever tell you how _deprived_ you are, kiddo?”

The question made Sam blush and he ducked his head down until some of his hair dropped in his face. He knew there were things that he’d missed out on and sometimes, that thought made him angry. But mostly it was just embarrassing. And he knew that Dean had tried – more than any kid ever should have to, Dean had tried to give Sam some kind of childhood, some good memories. If he’d missed one or two experiences it wasn’t through lack of effort on his part.

As if picking up on Sam’s thoughts, Gabriel didn’t push it, and he provided a distraction. “All right, munchkin, c’mon. Let’s get comfortable.” Gabriel reached out and caught a fistful of Sam’s shirt. With a strength his smaller body shouldn’t manage to have, he tugged Sam down until the both of them were lying on the blanket. Gabriel laid flat on his back, the stuffed snake as a pillow, and his legs stretched and crossed at the ankle. When he pulled Sam down, it laid the hunter out right along his side and sort of half draped over him. Sam flushed a little at how they must look to all the people on their own blankets or chairs around them. But he also laughed and shook his head, because this was Gabriel. This was just how he was.

It took a second of shifting for Sam to get comfortable. He ended up still against Gabriel’s side, his head pillowed on the archangel’s shoulder and one arm wrapped around his waist. Gabriel kept an arm around Sam to hold him in place and he curled it just enough that he could lightly comb his fingers through Sam’s hair.

The sky above them was slowly getting dark, but the air wasn’t too cool. Either that or Gabriel was keeping the temperature around them regulated. That wouldn’t really surprise Sam. It seemed like the type of thing that he’d do.

From somewhere, a bag of popcorn was pulled out and set against Gabriel’s other side with the opening angled just right for the both of them to reach it. “Just a snack to tide us over. Show should be starting any time now.” Gabriel told him.

“What is it?” Sam asked, not really expecting an answer. He wasn’t even all that worried about one anymore, really. He was quite comfortable where he was. Lying like this was nice. Sam had always been a snuggler and Gabriel really indulged that part of him.

“You’ll see.”

The fingers in his hair made a nice, soft scratching motion, and Sam melted a little underneath it. There was still a bit of embarrassment from before – he couldn’t believe he’d panicked so much! He hadn’t freaked out like that in _years_ – but the soothing motions of Gabriel’s fingers and the relaxed air around them kept Sam from dwelling on it too much. He just laid there and let him enjoy the moment. It was one of htose moments that Sam knew Dean wouldn’t ever believe. He wouldn’t believe Sam that it was possible for Gabriel to sit around quietly. Really, though, the older Winchester had no idea. Yeah, sure, Gabriel could chatter his ear off about things. That didn’t mean that he didn’t know how to be quiet, though. They had plenty of moments so far between them that were just like this; the two of them together, just cuddled together no even saying much of anything.

It was enough to relax Sam so much that he almost started to drift to sleep. The day had been long, crazy, and so much fun, and he was starting to feel it a little bit.

Then Gabriel was tapping at the side of his head and Sam tilted his head, following as Gabriel pointed up towards the sky. “It’s about to start, munchkin. Watch.”

Sam only had to wait a second to find out what this big surprise was. There was a small pause after Gabriel’s words and then Sam heard something shoot off in the distance, almost like a gunshot, and his eyes went wide as he realized what was coming right before the firework exploded up in the sky in a bright spray of green. Sam’s mouth dropped open and he could feel his eyes had gone wide. “Fireworks!” Tilting his head, he grinned at Gabriel. “It’s a fireworks show!”

Grinning, Gabriel nodded. “Yep.”

The grin that Sam wore was huge as he spun back around and snuggled in again to watch as the next firework went up into the sky. He and Dean had watched some fireworks over the years and they’d had so much fun, so many times, setting off fireworks on their own. Those were some of Sam’s favorite memories. Dean had always liked the appeal of setting something on fire and watching it explode – Sam had always loved the lights. The great big blasts of color that would light up the sky.

His joy was easy for Gabriel to feel and was exactly what the archangel had been going for. He’d planned for this to be the end of their day the whole time. The little incident with the clown had just pushed him into taking them over here early, which looked like it’d turned out good as the show had started a bit quicker than he’d expected.

He didn’t really watch the fireworks himself. With his head lifted a little, it was easy for Gabriel to watch at least part of Sam’s face. To see the way his eyes would light up or how he’d gasp at a particularly elaborate and pretty firework. There was so much open joy on his face. It made him look so different than he normally did. Gone was the stress and the fear that were kind of constant companions of any hunter. Here, Sammy was letting go, letting himself just _enjoy_ , and it was everything Gabriel had wanted when he’d planned today out. He almost laughed as some of the bigger fireworks went off and he actually felt Sam gasp against his chest.

This was a memory Gabriel would never forget. Sam’s eyes, lit so bright, and the big dopey grin that he turned to Gabriel once the last firework had been lit and the great big finale was finished.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know Sam’s sort of back and forth here and I honestly wanted it that way. He’s in public and he’s having a bit of a time trying to keep himself separated. I promise, there’ll be tons more fluffy moments, with little angst moments thrown in here and there, over the rest of their weekend while they’re at home. Time for the boys to really start to show their roles!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this is super short but it should've been up with the last chapter - I don't know why it wasn't. How I missed it on copying and pasting I have no idea. Anyways, here's this little thing, and then the next chapter (Which is almost done, another day maybe two) will start out fresh in the morning. Anything you'd like to see happen over their weekend, let me know!

It was a very tired little boy that Gabriel finally flew back home. The archangel was half supporting his boy as they flew straight into Sammy’s bedroom. The day had been great, but it had been busy, and the excitement of the fireworks had kept him up even longer. But all of that was fading away now and Sam was steadily crashing. Gabriel practically had to carry the kid into the bathroom. A bath would be a good idea if he wasn’t worried that Sam would pass out seconds into it. In lieu of that, he opted instead to just snap away the sweat and dirt that came from a day at the fair.

“C’mon, munchkin.” Gabriel steered Sam towards the closed toilet, lowering him down to sit on it. He didn’t really trust Sam to stay upright on his own at the moment. “Let’s get your teeth brushed and then we’ll get you in some jammies and tucked into bed. How’s that sound?”

Sam lifted a hand to cover the yawn that split his mouth. His eyes were only half open when he dropped his hand back down, but he stubbornly insisted “’m not tired.”

Amusement curved Gabriel’s lips and warmed his eyes. He lifted a hand and smoothed Sam’s hair back from his face. “Sure you’re not. Let’s say we get your teeth brushed anyways, hm?”

A sleepy Sammy was proving to be a rather adorable Sammy. He was too tired to be combative about anything and only just barely alert. However, even mostly asleep, Sam still managed to get his teeth brushed and at least take care of his bathroom business. That seemed to be all, though. By the time they were back in Sam’s room, the kid was stumbling and his eyes were barely opened. Gabriel sat him down on the edge of the bed and Sam leaned right into him, his face burying in against Gabriel’s shirt. There was none of the hesitation that still sometimes showed up in these kinds of moments. After a long day, one in which Sam had been brought ‘down’ in a few ways, his brain seemed to have fully settled into being little and it wasn’t leaving any room for the nerves or hesitation that sometimes colored their time together.

Gabriel loved it.

He loved sleepy, cuddly little boy who didn’t even protest as he was stripped out of his day clothes and then dressed him in the pajamas that he snapped over to him. Clean underwear, covered in dinosaurs, and a dinosaur t-shirt and matching shorts. Once he had Sam dressed in those he easily laid him down in the bed that he’d made up just for him. With the star ceiling, Gabriel had kept to that theme and Sam’s bed matched it, a whole constellation laid out over his sheets. “There we go.” He murmured, smoothing back Sam’s hair. “Snug as a bug in a rug. Oh!” Smirking, Gabriel lifted a hand and snapped, the puppy he’d won earlier appearing in his hands. “We can’t forget this little guy.”

The smile that lit up Sammy’s face was warm and sleepy and so honest, it tugged at Gabriel’s grace. His little boy took hold of the puppy and pulled him in close, snuggling him in his arms. “’S Taffy.”

“Taffy?”

“Mm.” Sam snuggled in a little more and buried his face against ‘Taffy’.

Gabriel chucked and shook his head. Apparently little Sam was much more open to sweets than big Sam was. “Did you have a good time today, munchkin?”

Sleepy hazel eyes blinked up at him and then wrinkled at the corners with Sam’s smile. “Uh-huh. I liked the rides an the games – an the fireworks were _awesome_.” Then Sam’s expression faltered and his cheeks turned a little red while his eyes dropped down. “’m sorry for actin’ like a baby.”

It only took Gabriel a second to realize what he was talking about. As soon as he did, he moved to sit down on the bed right by Sam’s stomach, making it easier to reach out and brush back his hair again. “Hey, now. You weren’t acting like a baby, sweetheart. You were scared. It happens to all of us.” Gabriel finished tucking some of Sam’s hair behind his ear and then dropped his hand down. “Why didn’t you tell me you were afraid of clowns when we got there, Sammy? I would’ve made sure they stayed away.”

“’S stupid.”

Gabriel shook his head immediately. “No, it’s not.”

“Is.” Sam insisted stubbornly. He dropped his gaze down to stare at his stuffed puppy and he fiddled a little with its floppy ear, twisting it between his fingers. “Dad always said bein’ scared of clowns was stupid, cause we hunt worse stuff’n that. An De laughs. Only babies are scared of stupid stuff an I’m not a baby.”

Damn John Winchester. Gabriel had to taper down his anger. No need to let it show and scare Sam or worry him anymore than he already was. Only when he was sure his voice was going to stay gentle did the archangel speak. “It’s not stupid and it doesn’t make you a baby to be scared of something. Everyone’s scared of something.”

“Even _you_?” Sam asked incredulously.

Amusement curved Gabriel’s lips. He reached out and tapped the tip of Sam’s nose. “Even me.”

“What’re you scared of?”

“Fighting.” Gabriel answered promptly. He lifted the arm closest to Sam and rested it on the kid’s upturned him, leaning in a little towards him. “It always scared me when my brothers fought. They’d get so loud and angry. To this day, I can’t stand when people start shouting at one another and really fighting. Scares me every time.”

Sam nodded his head in agreement. “I don’t like it, either.”

“Like I said, everyone’s scared of something. And I _always_ want you to tell me when you’re scared, okay? Always. No matter what it is that’s scaring you or how stupid you think it is, I want you to tell me. Got it, kiddo?” At Sam’s nod, the archangel smiled again. “Good. Now, I think it’s long past time for all little boys and their dogs to be sleeping.”

Bending down, he pressed a kiss against Sam’s forehead. “Night, munchkin. Sweet dreams.”

“Night, Daddy.” Came the sleepy reply.

Sam was out before Gabriel even made it out the door.


	4. Chapter 4

The smell of breakfast woke Sam in the morning. He lay under his covers, with Taffy tucked under one arm, and gave a little sniff. Was that… pancakes? And sausage? Curling himself in a little tighter he brought Taffy up towards his face and grinned against the dog’s head. “Daddy’s makin’ breakfast.” Daddy made the _best_ breakfasts. He never burned the pancakes and he always gave Sammy a cup of strawberry milk and a plate of _real_ strawberries if he wanted.

With Taffy tucked under his arm, Sam climbed out of bed and made his way out of his room and towards the kitchen. He could hear music – Daddy always liked having music on. It made it easy for Sammy to tiptoe his way down the hall and into the kitchen. When he poked his head in he saw Gabriel standing at the counter doing something or other. His back was to Sam and the little boy smothered a giggle. Maybe he’d be able to sneak up on him and scare him.

Before he could even take a step, Gabriel’s voice suddenly rang out in the room, thick with amusement. “Don’t even think about it, little boy.”

Sam froze and gaped at him. “How’d y’know I was here?”

Turning, Gabriel grinned over his shoulder. “Cause Daddies know everything. It’s part of the job.”

“Nuh-uh!”

“Yep.”

Did he really? Sam debated it for a minute and watched as Gabriel turned back to the counter. Did he really know _everything_? “De says that’s  a big brother’s job.”

“Sometimes.” Gabriel agreed easily. He moved aside just enough to make space for Sam when Sam came up to his side. The boy leaned against him, bending enough to drop his head on Gabriel’s shoulder. The archangel smiled and turned to kiss his head before he went back to cutting the strawberries in front of him. “But it’s a Daddy’s job to know things _all the time_. An I’m an awesome Daddy, so I know plenty of stuff.”

A thousand questions popped into Sam’s head. “Why’s the sky blue?”

Gabriel didn’t even hesitate. “Cause Dad liked it. He tried a couple before he found the one he liked the best.”

Huh. It _was_ a pretty awesome color. And it looked cool. Though Sam bet the sky would look pretty cool if it were orange, too. “Is that why the grass is green too? Cause he liked it?”

“Yep. Dad kinda toyed around until he got things just right.” Gathering up the chopped strawberries, Gabriel dropped them down into a bowl. Then he shifted so he could put his knife in the sink. “Why don’t you come on over and wash your hands with me, munchkin?” He poked at Sam’s stomach with one finger, making the boy squirm away quickly. Gabriel chuckled. “I bet you’re hungry.”

Sam set Taffy down on the counter beside the sink and then turned to start washing his hands. Gabriel stayed right beside him, squirting soap into both their hands, and in no time the two were cleaned up and Sam found himself seated over at the kitchen table, with Taffy once more under one arm. He found a plate set in front of him a moment later with already cut up pancakes with butter on them and a bowl of the cut up strawberries beside his plate. Sam grinned up at his Daddy, who was coming back with a sippy cup that Sam just _knew_ had strawberry milk in it. “Thanks, Daddy!”

The archangel smiled fondly and ruffled Sam’s hair, chuckling when he pulled away. “No problem, munchkin.”

He got his own plate and sat down right across from Sam at the table. Eating with Gabriel was always kind of funny to watch. Sometimes he was messier than Sam! He never seemed to care, either. He’d always just grin and clean them up. Sam liked it. He liked the way that Gabriel would grin at him and how he always talked and waved his hands around and how he never _ever_ made Sam shut up or told him he was talking too much. He always listened and talked and laughed. Sam _loved_ it.

They talked through breakfast just like always and soon enough they were both done. Sam helped his Daddy clean up, because that’s what you were supposed to do, and then Gabriel nudged him out of the kitchen. “Why don’t you go and pick out some play clothes, kiddo? I got something fun I want to show you once you’re dressed.”

Sam’s eyes lit up. Something fun? “What is it?”

Laughing, Gabriel patted his bottom and sent him forward a few steps. “You’ll find out once you’re dressed. Go on, go get ready while I wash these up.”

Sam took off like a flash down the hall towards his room. Whenever Gabriel made plans they were _always_ fun. He couldn’t wait to see what his Daddy had planned!

It took him no time at all to throw on a pair of pants and a plain red shirt. When he came running back out Gabriel was already waiting at the door to the backyard. He took one look at Sam and grinned before shaking his head. “A little excited, kiddo?” His eyes went down to the floor and then back up to Sam. “You forgot your socks and shoes.”

“Oh.” Sam looked down at his feet, which were indeed bare. He wiggled his toes a bit against the floor and then looked back at Gabriel, his own grin curving his mouth. “Whoops?”

“Whoops, indeed. You’re lucky you’ve got a Daddy who happens to know his little boy. Come sit down.” He pulled out the chair from the table and pointed to it. Sam hurried forward and dropped himself down into his seat with a plop that only made Gabriel roll his eyes, but didn’t take away his smile. When Gabriel knelt down in front of him, Sam saw that he had shoes and socks in his hand. He went to put them on and Sam tried to pull his foot back. “Daddy! I can do it. I’m not a baby.”

“You’re _my_ baby.” Gabriel countered. He caught Sam’s foot and held it still as he started to pull the sock on.

The way that Gabriel said it didn’t make it sound that bad. But Sam knew he wasn’t supposed to act like a baby. He was supposed to be a big boy and do things like put on his own shoes so his Daddy wouldn’t have to. Daddies didn’t like to do things like that. De did, sometimes, when Sam was tired or when he was too excited to sit still. But he always said it was a big brother’s job. Big brothers had a _lot_ of jobs. “How come big brothers got so many jobs?” Sam asked.

“It’s part of being a big brother.” Gabriel said. He finished with Sam’s socks and moved to his shoes next. “The bigger you are, the more jobs you get.”

“Are they _borin’_ jobs?”

“Sometimes.” Looking up through his loose hair, Gabriel winked at him. “But sometimes they’re the best things ever. Especially when it involves little brothers.”

Sometimes Sam thought that De got the most boring jobs of all. Sam was kind of glad he wasn’t a big brother. He didn’t want to have to do all the things that his brother did. He liked being the little brother; he liked when it was just him an Dean and no one else. His brother always took good care of him and they had lots of fun when Dad was gone.

Hands clapped over Sam’s foot and drew his attention to his shoes. “There we go. Two nicely tied shoes.” Gabriel pushed up and then held out a hand to help Sam up. “We got everything else?”

“Yep!” Sam climbed eagerly to his feet. He really, really wanted to see what the fun thing was that Daddy was talking about.

“We got shoes.” Gabriel put his hands on his hips and looked Sam over. “Shirt?”

Giggling, Sam tugged at his shirt. “Yep!”

“Pants?”

“Yep!”

“Underwear?”

Sam let out another laugh. “Daddy!” He was so _weird_.

Smirking, Gabriel held his hands out. “Hey, just checking. Who knows, you might’ve hurried so quickly you forgot em. Can’t have you running around without them.” At Sam’s continued giggles, the archangel grinned. “All right. Grab Taffy and let’s go outside. I’ve got something out there I think you’re gonna like.”

Excitement had Sam almost bouncing as Gabriel led him out the back door and into the huge backyard. Sam’s eyes went wide and his mouth dropped open at what he saw. There was a giant play thing at the back of the yard with swings and a slide that looked just the right side for him, and a little bridge that led to the other side of it that looked like a cool high tower with a giant net ladder going up the side. It looked _awesome_! They could swing and slide and play for _hours_ and then they could climb up in the tower and play pirates or soldiers or all those games that De had always liked.

“Go on, munchkin.” Gabriel’s voice had Sam’s head snapping over to him. He found his Daddy giving him a big smile with the little wrinkles by his eyes that meant he was really, really happy. “It’s all right, Sammy. Go on an play.”

That was all the encouragement that Sam needed. He shot off, but he made it only three steps before he stopped and spun on his heel. Gabriel just barely managed to catch him when he launched himself at his Daddy and hugged him tightly. “Thank you! Thank you so, so, so much!”

“You are so welcome, baby.” Gabriel murmured, kissing his hair. Then he straightened Sam up and nudged him. “Now you and Taffy go play up there.”

In a moment of daring, Sam grabbed Gabriel’s hand and gave a tug. “Come with us!”

His Daddy’s grin got even bigger. “You’re on.” Then he chuckled and winked. “Last one there’s a rotten egg!”

The sound of their laughter echoed through the yard as the two raced towards the play structure.

* * *

This was shaping up to be the best day _ever_!

After a morning spent playing outside, the duo had a lunch of fruit salad and sandwiches out on the grass. Then they headed inside and they went to Sam’s room and played with the giant box of Legos in there. Only De had ever played Legos like this with Sam. His Daddy didn’t just set him up in there to play and then leave him alone, or watch Sam play while he did other things – he laid down on his stomach on the rug with him and they built a giant castle together.

Sam built them a dragon and he grinned when his Daddy laughed and snapped and made the dragon start flying around the castle.

Dragons stayed their theme for most of the day. They even curled up on the couch together and watched “How to Train Your Dragon” together and Gabriel didn’t even scold Sam for talking through the movie. He talked with him and they pointed and laughed and argued over who would get what dragon. It was the best!

Sam had never had a day as perfect as this one. Not even the bath that Gabriel ordered after dinner could ruin that. Not that Sam really _wanted_ to take a bath. He wanted to go and play some more! Daddy just laughed at him and shook his head, though. “If you want your story tonight, you’re gonna take a bath, munchkin. No cuddling up in bed when you’re filthy.”

The promise of a story was enough to have Sam moving. He was surprised when Gabriel followed him, though. Why was he doing that? Sam shot him a curious look when they got to the bathroom and Gabriel was still there.

If Gabriel noticed, he didn’t say anything about it. He just went to the huge tub and sat down on the edge of it before reaching in to start the water. It was kind of like what De used to do. He’d get Sammy’s bath ready and sometimes he’d stay in there and talk to him and wash his hair. Sam _loved_ it. Was Gabriel going to do that? Would he really stay in here and wash Sam’s hair and talk with him? He’d been… he’d been so great today. He’d done all the things that big brothers did, not the things that Daddies did. Maybe if Sam was really quiet and really good then his Daddy would stay in here too.

Gabriel tossed a look over his shoulder at him while he tested the water. “Toss your clothes over in the hamper over there, Sammy. I’ll get to them later.”

There was one brief moment where part of Sam’s brain tried to rear its head and protest at this. A soft voice in the back of his mind whispering that this wasn’t what he should be doing, that this was taking things too far. Asking too much of Gabriel. But it was drowned out under the part of him that really, really wanted this. Sam shucked his clothes and then, at a gesture from Gabriel, climbed into the tub. He sank down into the water with a happy little sigh. It was warm without being too hot.

The water was shut off and Sam looked up to see Gabriel rising from the edge of the tub. He tried not to let his shoulders slump down in disappointment. Of course he was leaving. Sam was a big boy – he should take care of himself. He didn’t need someone in here to help him wash up or anything like that. He could do it.

But instead of leaving, Gabriel was moving over to the counter, grabbing… was that a cup?

The archangel came back over to the tub and this time he sat down on the end that was closest to Sam. The cup was set down on the ground outside of the tub. Once it was, Gabriel reached up and over Sam to where a washcloth hung on a little bar beside the tub. “Why don’t we get you washed up, hm, kiddo? I swear, it looks like you brought half the dirt back inside with you.”

“Did _not_.” Sam answered immediately.

Gabriel chuckled. Reaching out, he grabbed a bottle that Sam hadn’t seen before and squirted some of it onto the washcloth. Then he got it wet before reaching out to catch one of Sam’s hands. “You sure about that? Look at these hands! You look like one of the mud-people of Caruka-Ta.”

That completely distracted Sam from the fact that Gabriel had started to wash his hand. “What’s that?”

“Caruka-Ta?” Gabriel asked. When Sam nodded, the archangel slid the washcloth up to his arm and chuckled. “Figures you wouldn’t know that. They were a group of people that were around a long, long, _long_ time ago on an island I don’t think even exists anymore. I stayed there, once…”

For the rest of his bath Sam was entertained with stories of the mud-people. And with each story, each laugh, he relaxed a little more and a little more, and the protesting voice inside of his head vanished away underneath the pure love that he felt for the man caring for him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Writing little Sam is much harder than I thought. I hope this didn't end up too terribly. Sorry for the wait, guys!


	5. Chapter 5

The house was quiet and the room mostly dark as Gabriel sat comfortably on his over-large couch and enjoyed the book in his hand and the plate of treats on the coffee table beside him. Being an archangel meant that he didn’t need to sleep unless he wanted to and not having Sammy in his bed gave him less incentive to go and curl up there. Not that he was complaining. Surprising though it might’ve been to others, the trickster-slash-archangel was quite content to sit there in comfortable sweats and one of Sam’s sweaters and read his book while his sweet boy slept just down the hall.

One of the things that the human race had gotten really right was their literature. Gabriel enjoyed a good book. He loved the stories spun in there that could take a person away and make them feel like someone else for a little while. Reading was one of his quiet indulgences that he only ever really gave into when he was alone like this. It was another area he and Sam had bonded on. When Sam wasn’t reading for research, he had pretty good taste in books, and he was always willing to read any recommendations that Gabriel gave him.

And with little Sammy, Gabriel got a chance to enjoy the younger books, too.

He’d let Sam pick a book off the shelf tonight after bath time and then the two had curled up in Sam’s bed and Gabriel had read to him from “Frog and Toad” until Sam’s eyes had finally fallen shut.

These were some of the moments that Gabriel loved best when Sam was little. He loved having Sam curled up against him, so warm and sleepy and utterly trusting. He loved being able to take care of him and love him without worry or shame or anything getting in the way.

There were great moments when he was big, too, of course, and Gabriel cherished them all. He treated them like the treasures they were – like the treasure _Sam_ was.

They’d had a great day today and everything had gone even better than Gabriel had hoped for. It’d been a perfect relaxing and fun day for the two of them.

So, of course, something had to mess it up.

Gabriel was halfway through his second chapter when his ears picked up on something. It was a soft sound – so soft no human would’ve been able to hear it. But Gabriel heard it and he froze, listening for something more. When that soft sound came again, he marked his page and set his book down, and then he rose up to his feet. He wasn’t sure what the sound was but he knew where it had to be coming from. There was no one else in the house but he and Sam and no way for anyone to get in without him knowing. That meant that the sound had to be Sam. The kid didn’t snore, not unless sick, so it couldn’t be that, and the only other sounds he usually made in his sleep weren’t loud.

By the time he reached Sam’s room, the emotions permeating the air made it clear what was going on. _A nightmare_. His Sammy was having a nightmare. Gabriel tried to be as quiet as possible as he opened up Sam’s door and stepped inside the room. What he found almost broke his heart.

Sammy wasn’t having a nightmare. At least, not anymore. The kid was curled up at the foot of his bed in a ball that was far tinier than someone of his size should be able to be. The blankets were pulled over him, all except for his head, and he was trembling almost violently. The one glimpse Gabriel got of his face before it was hidden from him under covers showed wide, wet eyes and tearstained cheeks. Not only was Sam awake, he was _crying_ , and he was hiding. From Gabriel!

“Oh, Sammy.” Now that he knew Sam was awake, he didn’t bother trying to be quiet. He just hurried his way over to the bed and sat right down on it near Sam’s head. He reached out and gathered Sam up, blanket and all. “Come here, baby. It’s all right. Come here.”

Those words seemed to be all the permission that Sammy needed. In a flash his arms were out from under the blanket and he was almost launching himself forward. Gabriel caught him up easily and let Sam climb in as close as he needed to. Shaking arms wrapped around Gabriel, big hands clenching at the back of his sweater, and long legs curled up so that Sam’s lower half was curled against Gabriel’s hip. His wet face pressed right in against Gabriel’s neck and hid there, each little sob huffing moisture against Gabriel’s skin.

Gabriel didn’t mind in the least. He held Sam as close as he could and stroked soothingly over his back while murmuring to him in a low, reassuring voice. “There you are, baby. You’re okay. Shhh, you’re okay.”

A huge sob shook Sam and he pressed himself in even tighter. “Don’ let ‘im get me, Daddy.”

“No one’s gonna get you here, Sammy. Remember? I’m here and I won’t let anyone get you.”

“He, he was chasin’ me.” Sam shuddered, his terror almost pouring off of him, and Gabriel’s gut clenched with the feel of it. “He was l-laughin’ an chasin’ me an I k-k-kept, I kept runnin’, but he was so fast! I, I was c-cold and alone an, an, don’ let ‘im get me, Daddy, please. _Please_!”

Gabriel truly understood in that moment what humans felt like when they said something made them feel sick. His stomach clenched up and his grace was trembling inside of him in both pain and anger. Because that wasn’t just a regular nightmare that Sam was having – that was a _Cage_ dream. A memory floating back up to haunt him. Gabriel had worried and wondered about those, about whether they’d strike more while Sam was little and more defenseless. Apparently he’d been right to worry. _Dad-dammit._ They were so hard for Sam to deal with normally. Like this? It was no wonder the kid was shaking and terrified!

The wings that Sam couldn’t see came out and wrapped around the precious bundle that Gabriel was holding. He tilted his head down and pressed his face against Sam’s hair, trying to get himself under control enough to be able to speak without raging at the damage that his brother had done. “I won’t let him get you.” He vowed hoarsely, emotion thickening his voice. “You’re safe here, Sammy baby. Daddy’s right here and he’s not gonna let anyone hurt you, you hear me?”

It took twenty minutes of talking and back-rubbing for Sam to finally calm down and stop crying. By the time the tears stopped, the boy was limp against him, too exhausted to do more than cling weakly to his Daddy

Gabriel smoothed Sam’s hair back from his face and pulled a handkerchief out of the air, which he used to wipe the tears off his face. He held it against Sam’s nose and softly told him “Blow.” When he was done, he vanished it just the same as he’d gotten it.

One look at the swollen, tearstained, devastated face below him, and there was really only one thing that Gabriel could think of to do here. With one hand, he nudged at one of Sam’s arms. “Arms up, Sammy.” He saw something cross Sam’s face and it made his grace ache even more as he watched Sam start to try and force himself to draw backwards. Obviously he’d interpreted Gabriel’s words to mean something else entirely. Well, they’d fix that. Gabriel took hold of Sam’s arm and pushed it up, moving it towards the archangel’s neck. “Up, baby, not away. Wrap your arms around my neck. That’s it, you got it. Now, hold on tight.”

Once he had Sam’s arms around his neck, he shifted his hands to gather up the rest of him and he lifted at the same time that he stood up. They ended up with Sam wrapped around him like a monkey, arms and legs clinging. The position should’ve been impossible. Sam was huge, and almost impossible to see around. But Gabriel wasn’t just any person. He carried Sam easily, never once tripping or running into anything the whole way down to their bedroom.

When they reached their room, Gabriel adjusted his hold on Sam so that he was more to the side and so his hand was free to reach out and grab the blankets. He pulled them back and then carefully started to untangle Sam from around him. It wasn’t easy. Now that Sam had a good hold on him, he didn’t want to let go. “I’m not going anywhere, Sammy. I just need you to let go so I can get us laid down, that’s all.” Gabriel tried to reassure him. “I’m not leaving, I promise. You think I’m gonna leave my baby after a dream like that? That’s why I brought you down here.”

One eye peeked out through shaggy bangs. “Really?”

“Really. Now, climb down and get in the covers. I think you might find there’s someone waiting for you on the pillow.” He watched Sam’s head spin and saw as the boy realized that Taffy had ended up here as well. That seemed to be enough incentive to get him moving. Gabriel got Sam into bed and let him get cuddled up right in the middle with Taffy wrapped up in his arms. No sooner had they settled than the bed was dipping as Gabriel climbed in as well. He moved right up to Sam and didn’t hesitate to stretch out beside him and then gather him up and pull him in. Sam came easily. He plastered himself to Gabriel’s side and let his head lay right over the heart of Gabriel’s vessel. Gabriel smiled and bent enough to kiss the top of his head. “There, much better. All safe and sound.”

Sam nuzzled against him. Against his chest Gabriel could feel the shifting of one of Sam’s arms as well as Taffy.

After a moment of silence, he heard Sam’s soft voice, so low he had to strain to hear. “’m sorry.”

“Sorry?” Confusion had Gabriel furrowing his brow. “For what, munchkin?”

“Fo’ wakin’ you up an, an buggin’ you.” He pressed himself in a little closer and his voice became even more muffled. “Didn’ mean to.”

“Bugging me? Sammy…” An idea came to Gabriel and he felt a little bit sick. “Baby, is that why you were hiding on your bed? Were you hiding from _me_?”

“Didn’ want to wake you up. I, I can be big ‘bout it.”

Grief had Gabriel closing his eyes. Dammit. _Dammit_. His wings trembled a little and his grace fought to reach out towards Sam. In the end Gabriel settled for reaching down and catching Sam’s chin, tilting his face up until hazel eyes met gold. “Listen to me, Sam. I don’t care what’s going on or what I’m doing – if you’re upset, I want you to call me. Even for nightmares. I don’t care if you think it’s silly or if you think you’re being a baby. You tell me, got it? I don’t ever want you trying to hide from me.”

Sam looked like he couldn’t quite believe what he was hearing. He nodded, though. “Kay, Daddy.”

“Good.” Letting go of Sam’s chin, he stroked his kid’s hair as Sam snuggled back in. “Don’t ever be afraid to come to me. This is what I’m here for, baby. When you’re scared, I want to be here to be able to hold you and let you know it’s gonna be okay. Daddies take care of their little boys.”

At least, _real_ Daddies did. Just apparently not the ones in Sam’s world.

Well, whatever had or hadn’t happened during Sam’s childhood, they were making up for it now. Gabriel held Sam close and let his grace and wings curl around them both, guaranteeing that there would be no more nightmares bugging anyone tonight.


	6. Chapter 6

It wasn’t any real surprise to Gabriel when Sam woke up in the morning and was very clearly _Sam_ and not _Sammy_. The archangel had sort of expected it after the dream that he’d had. Honestly, he was surprised Sam had lasted as long as he had in his little mindset. It was the longest that he’d ever been like that since they’d started this whole thing.

Sam was still curled tight up against Gabriel when he woke. He didn’t bother moving, either. His head just tilted enough that he could peek up through his bangs at Gabriel’s face. There was love there, the same love that was always there and that never failed to warm Gabriel straight through his grace, and there was shyness as well. Gabriel had been prepared for that, too.

He made sure that his smile was gentle and easy as he looked down at the man that he loved with every fiber of his being. Some of that must’ve showed through because he felt Sam’s shyness fade away and his body relaxed a little more until he was just about melted into Gabriel. It was absolutely wonderful. The trust and affection showed in that simple gesture never failed to floor Gabriel. He knew how big it was for Sam to trust someone. Especially something supernatural. That he did it here and with so much ease was always a boost to Gabriel’s ego and it made his grace hum happily.

He felt a soft huff of breath from Sam that he knew was a low, sleepy laugh. “I can feel that.”

“Can you?” Gabriel was absurdly pleased by the idea that Sam could feel his grace; feel the emotion in it coming out against him.

The hunter nodded and snuggled back into Gabriel’s chest. “Mm. It’s warm an... soft.”

“Like warm fuzzies?”

The teasing words made Sam chuckle. Gabriel could feel it against him more than he could hear it. “You know? Yeah. Pretty much _exactly_ like that.”

Gabriel couldn’t help his own grin. “Nerd.”

“You like it.” Sam said confidently.

Teasing washed away under a warm wave of affection. Gabriel pulled Sam in a little, lifting his own head so that he could press a kiss against the crown of Sam’s. “Yeah.” He murmured, settling back in. “Yeah, I do.”

For a while the two of them just lay there together and enjoyed being able to wrap up in one another without any pressing obligations, no one interrupting them, nothing getting in their way. It was a perfect start to their last day together and a great way for Sam to sort of relax and feel out where he was going to be today. Gabriel had a feeling he knew; today was most likely going to be about getting Sam back into his hunter mindset. After going so deep for the first time, it was probably going to take him a little bit to get his equilibrium back.

If Gabriel subtly used his grace to make sure no messy human needs would require them to have to get up, well, no need to let Sam know about that.

“Can we just stay in bed today?” Sam murmured some time later. He twisted himself a little, lying just a bit more on Gabriel. It allowed him to pillow his head on his hands and look up at his partner’s face. “I think I just want a lazy day today.”

The way that Sam looked right then - his eyes heavy, his face soft still from sleep and not marred by the usual tension or worries - there was no way that Gabriel was going to be able to deny him anything. Especially not something that he himself wanted as well. A day in bed with his partner sounded fantastic. “Absolutely, sweetheart.”

“Maybe watch some movies?” Sam suggested.

Gabriel grinned and reached up, fingers trailing lazily through Sam’s hair. “So long as I get to pick some.” Any movies they’d watched lately had been for Sammy and a bit more on the childish side. Not that Gabriel minded! But he was looking forward to a bit more adult movies.

However, Sam seemed to have taken that as a bit more ‘adult’ than Gabriel had intended. “We’re not laying in bed watching porn all day.”

The low, musical sound of Gabriel’s laughter echoed in the room around them. “Sammy! I’m shocked!” His grin turned a bit mischievous and he gave a light tug to Sam’s hair. “Why on earth would I watch porn when we could make our own?”

“I am not making porn with you!”

Even as Gabriel laughed, he noticed the small spark of something in Sam’s eyes and logged away that little fact for later. Right now wasn’t about sex and the both of them knew it.

Sam folded his hands over Gabriel’s chest and laid his head down to rest on them. For a moment he just watched the archangel, who continued to lightly comb his fingers through Sam’s hair. Gabriel could see that Sam was thinking and he knew his boy would speak up soon enough once he found the words. Sometimes, when things were really important, Sam just had the words there, and other times he had to find them. This time proved to be one of the latter. It took a few minutes before Sam seemed to figure out what he wanted to say. When he spoke, though, he kept his words simple. “Thank you, Gabriel. You... gave me what I didn’t even realize I needed. I had a good time this weekend.”

“It was my pleasure, Sammy.”

“No one...” Pausing, Sam drew in a breath and very clearly gathered courage for his next words. “No one but Dean’s ever taken care of me like that. Even with Jess, it wasn’t as... complete as this. You give me everything I want or need even when I don’t know what it is that I need. I just, I needed you to know how much I appreciate it. How absolutely amazing you are.”

Smiling, Gabriel slid his hand just enough to be able to cup Sam’s cheeks. “I told you, I love giving this to you just as much as you love taking it. Big or little, I love you, and I’ll always do everything in my power to be able to take care of you.” Tilting up, he met Sam’s lips for a short and rather chaste kiss that felt absolutely perfect.

When they pulled back apart, Gabriel was still smiling at him. He slid his hand back up into Sam’s hair and used that to give his head a little tug and shake. “Now, no more needless thanks, got it, Samshine?”

“Got it.”

“Good.” Grinning, Gabriel let go of him and patted his cheek. Then he started to nudge him to the side. “Why don’t we get comfortable, then? I think I’ve got the perfect first movie to start with.”

Sam mock grumbled even as he moved to the side. “I was comfortable.”

“There was no way you could’ve seen the movie like that and, trust me, this isn’t one you want to miss. It’s one of my favorites.”

The two men ended up propped up against the headboard with a mound of pillows that Gabriel snapped into existence. They sat side by side, the perfect height for Gabriel to lean in and rest his head against Sam’s shoulder – and most likely for Sam to end up resting his head against the top of Gabriel’s at some point. It was a position they’d sat in plenty of times before. After they got comfortable, Gabriel snapped his fingers and conjured up a giant TV and DVD player down near the foot of the bed. Another snap brought them breakfast on a tray over their laps.

Sam snickered at the casual display of power that would’ve once made him at least a little jumpy. He relaxed down into the bed and plucked up a fruit off the plate in front of him while Gabriel grabbed the remote and turned everything on.

As Gabriel turned on ‘Arthur’, he felt Sam’s hand slip under the blankets and seek his out, fingers twisting together in the small space between them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you liked this installment! Please, let me know what you want to see next! Suggestions, prompts, requests, anything whatsoever. If there's something in this series you'd like to see, let me know! I'm sort of in the mood to write today so hopefully I can get some more done before bed :) Find me on here or at tumblr at thequeervet.tumblr.com

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Fan Art for Daddy Dom Gabriel and Little Sam Fic](https://archiveofourown.org/works/10721352) by [Raven-Star (rea40)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/rea40/pseuds/Raven-Star)




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